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Love films? Port Moody has a fest for you

A handful of Canadian flicks that received little media attention over 2017 will be screened this week as part of an annual movie festival at the Inlet Theatre.
Ava
A still from the movie Ava.

Some of the best commercial films of last year scooped Oscars yesterday (Sunday).

But a handful of Canadian flicks that received little media attention over 2017 will be screened this week as part of an annual movie festival at the Inlet Theatre.

Opening Thursday, the Port Moody Film Festival starts its run with Ava, a Canadian-Iranian story that won the FIPRESCI Discovery Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

The fest continues Friday with a double-header: The Crescent followed by a shorts program of seven films — under the title Labours of Love — of which public entry to the latter showing is free.

Another double feature is on the bill for Saturday night with Maison du bonheur followed by Three Poems Trilogy, of which admission is also free with a ticket to the former flick.

The fest closes Sunday with the documentary Unarmed Verses — directed by Charles Officer that was named one of TIFF’s Top 10 best Canadian films for 2017 — and a wrap-up party at 9 p.m., with the People’s Pick announced.

Spokesperson Josh Cabrita, who selected the line-up with society president Connie Smith and fellow member-at-large Greg Hall and Josh Hamm, said each feature will be preceded by a short movie to give emerging filmmakers a boost.

Saturday night, following Maison du Bonheur, director Sofia Bohdanowicz will be Skyped in from Toronto to talk about her Trilogy work and answer questions from the crowd before it rolls.

Cabrita said the society wanted a diverse line-up, something to please everyone.

“We tried to pick films that would give a lot of variety, with different styles and sensibilities,” he said. “Our hope is to encapsulate what’s going on Canada right now with this very broad base.”

• Tickets for all movies go on sale at 6 p.m. on show night, at $7 each (plus an annual membership of $5). Cash and cheque will be accepted only as payment. Visit pmfilm.ca.

jcleugh@tricitynews.com